Crime novel inspired by Dunsborough holidays

Dunsborough’s sun-kissed beaches and turquoise waters have long been a haven for holidaymakers seeking the perfect family getaway. But what if your idyllic holiday took an unexpected, sinister turn?

WA writer Kate Emery’s latest Young Adult (YA) cosy crime novel, My Family and Other Suspects transforms this tranquil south west paradise into a suspenseful crime scene.

Set for release on October 1, the book promises to keep readers guessing until the very last page.

“The story centres around teenaged Ruth, obsessed with murder mysteries and true crime,” Kate explained.

“She’s on holiday with her family in Dunsborough, cut off from Wi-Fi and phone service a teenager’s nightmare.”

But Ruth’s boredom vanishes when a family member is found dead.

Suddenly, the aspiring detective finds herself piecing together clues alongside her secret crush and half-cousin.

What should have been a typical beachside getaway of swimming and sandcastles is replaced by whispered suspicions and uneasy glances across the dinner table, and what could possibly go wrong with a teenage sleuth at the helm of the investigation?

This cosy crime marks Emery’s second YA book, following her debut fantasy The Not So Chosen One, shortlisted for the 2022 Text Prize.

As a journalist for The West Australian since 2007, Kate is no stranger to crafting stories.

However, her journey to becoming an author wasn’t without its hiccups.

“I wrote an 80,000-word fantasy novel in high school, which took a year to write, only for it to be accidently deleted from the family hard drive”, Kate recalled.

But this setback didn’t deter her. After completing an Arts Degree and Honours in English and Creative Writing in Perth, Kate moved to London and worked for women’s magazines like Cosmopolitan.

She returned to Australia in the early 2000s, eventually landing at The West Australian.

During maternity leave with her first child, Kate found time to reignite and pursue her passion for fiction writing.

“I was always writing on the side but never made time for it until I had my first baby,” she said.

“I really missed having a creative outlet, so I wrote my debut novel during that time.”

Kate’s love for mysteries, particularly Agatha Christie’s works (her daughters are lovingly named Agatha and Christobel), shines through in her latest book.

Inspired by childhood holidays at her grandparents’ beach house in Quindalup, this story needed to find its way onto the page.

“My late grandparents had a beach house on Geographe Bay Road, just out of Dunsborough,” Kate shared.

“For the first 18 years of my life, we’d all drive down to Quindy, a dodgy asbestos shack, for every family holiday or long weekend.”

“Because I was the youngest, I had to sleep in the ‘coffin’ room, aptly named as the bed opened like a coffin!”

“My lovely brothers and sisters told me that my granddad had died in that room, and they had put his body in that bed, hence the name.

“I had to sleep in there every night, which was really scary!”

Despite her spooky sleepovers, Kate loved spending time at the shack with her family, and when the idea for a murder mystery started to brew, Dunsborough seemed the obvious choice to set the scene for the crime.

“It was fun to imagine what would happen if someone had been hurt during one of my family holidays and we all became suspects, and I have spent my spare time trying to investigate it,” she said.

“I had such a blast writing some scenes.

“There’s a part when they go into the Dunsborough township. I had it all pictured in my head, the old General Store and the bakery.”

Her childhood memories, with her incredible gift for storytelling, resulted in a nail-biting, cosy crime novel that, although YA in genre, is a story for any age.

Kate believes her book can appeal to a broader audience.

“Adults have always enjoyed coming-of-age stories,” she said. “There’s something about that time in our lives that we can all relate to.”

“It’s like remembering those teenage times when the stakes were high (even when they were not), the angst, the drama, the excitement, the good and bad times, it has it all,” she added.

My Family and Other Suspects perfectly captures the YA genre with juicy depth and captivating narration, making it an extremely entertaining read.

“It’s nice to have a novel that’s easy to read because, as an adult, everything’s so complicated.

“The beauty of YA books is that they’re pacey and generally not lengthy, so you never get bored and can easily read them over a holiday!”

Kate chose the cosy crime genre for its gentler approach to thrillers.

“Cosy crimes have three key elements: minimal violence and sex, a small town setting, and an amateur detective,” she said. “The intense details happen off the page; we just set the scene. Keeping it light but intriguing.”

As summer approaches, “My Family and Other Suspects” promises to be a compelling addition to your reading list, especially for those familiar with the south west.

“It was such a fun book to write. I hope the locals will appreciate my loving depictions of old Dunsborough and the surrounding areas,” Kate said.

“It’s such a great part of the world. It was lovely to write this story and marinate in that world of my childhood for a while.”

Kate Emery’s latest novel invites readers to visit the familiar landscapes of Dunsbourgh, where every ice cream shop, store, and beach could hide a clue.

The lies are blurred between trusted family members, friends and locals like the horizon on a hazy summer’s afternoon, and Kate’s pacey, witty and clever read promises to keep bookworms glued to the pages long after the sun has set over Geography Bay.

“I hope that anyone who wants a book to cosy up on the couch with a cup of tea can read it, not want to stop reading it, but then get to the end, put it down and not have any creepy crime nightmares!”

To find out more, visit www.kateemery.com.au